Marshall Thundering Herd football History

Marshall Thundering Herd football

Early history:- (1895–1967)

Rick Tolley era:- (1968–1970)

Jack Lengyel era:- (1971–1974)

Frank Ellwood era:- (1975–1978)

Sonny Randle era:- (1979–1983)

Sonny Randle took over as head coach after the 1978 season. Before his time with Virginia and East Carolina, Randle was the head coach. He went 12-42-1 in his five years at Huntington, including a 5-26-1 record in Southern Conference play. Randle was a protégé of Carl Lee, a Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame member.

Jim Donnan era:- (1990–1995)

Bob Pruett era:- (1996–2004)

Since returning to Division I-A in 1999, Marshall has four Top 25 finishes (1999, 2001, 2002, and 2014). Marshall won three bowl games in a row after losing to Ole Miss in the Motor City Bowl in 1997 and defeating Louisville, BYU, and Cincinnati. Marshall defeated East Carolina 64–61 in a double-overtime game at the 2001 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Marshall was down 38-8 at halftime, but Byron Leftwich threw five touchdowns in the second half to bring them back. Marshall was defeated 32-14 by Cincinnati in the 2004 Plains Capital Fort Worth Bowl, which was Pruett's last game as head coach before his retirement. The home of James Carter, aka Carter Stadium.

Mark Snyder era:- (2005–2009)

Former Marshall's football player Mark Snyder has accepted the head coaching position at Ohio State after serving as defensive coordinator. Snyder coached Ahmad Bradshaw, Lee Smith, Vinny Curry, Albert McClellan, and Cody Slate during his time as Marshall's head coach. 2009 was Snyder's best season. He announced his retirement after five seasons, including one Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl appearance (2009).

Doc Holliday era:- (2010–2020)

West Virginia University of Marshall football assistant coach Doc Holliday took over as Marshall's football head coach on December 17, 2009, after agreeing to a five-year deal for $600,000 each season. Marshall went 10-4 in 2013, with Holliday directing him to a Military Bowl victory. In 2014, he led the squad to their first C-USA title and the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl triumph versus Northern Illinois (52–23), guiding them to a 13-1 record.

Holliday, who also led Marshall to a No. 15 Associated Press ranking, started the 2020 season 7-0 under Marshall. Following that, the club suffered a three-game defeat streak and finished 7-3. Marshall won the East Division of Conference USA before falling to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the 2020 Conference USA Championship game. In 2020, Holliday received the Coach of the Year award from Conference USA. In January 2021, Doc Holliday's deal expired.

Charles Huff era:- (2021–present)

On January 17, 2021, Marshall hired Charles Huff as their head coach, who was previously the running backs coach at Alabama. Marshall went 7-6 in his first season under Huff's tutelage. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns beat Marshall 36–21 in the 2021 New Orleans Bowl. As a result of the school's official entrance into the Sun Belt Conference in June 2022, the football squad will compete in that league during the 2022 season.

The herd takes a consistent approach to the historical game

The herd takes a consistent approach to the historical game

Regardless of what occurs before the sellout audience at Notre Dame Stadium, it will be one of Marshall University's most momentous football games.

The Thundering Herd and Notre Dame have never faced off in football before. In the history of the stadium, this will be the first time black head coaches meet. Marshall football will have one of the largest crowds ever to see the team. The Herd will face their 11th top-ten opponent in this game.

Millions more will tune in to NBC at 2:30 p.m. when Notre Dame is expected to average five million viewers.

Second-year Missouri head coach Charles Huff understands the significance of all of it, but he urges his players to approach No. 8 Notre Dame (0-1) like any other opponent on the schedule.

That's no disrespect to Notre Dame, he said, when asked if this game is just as important to them as it is to Norfolk State from a size or importance standpoint. That's not coach speak, or whatever the heck it is. To be consistent, that's the only way you have to prepare. When something is more important than the other, I don't believe you can maintain consistency. I don't believe you can prepare a strategy like that.

Marshall will, like every other game on the schedule, play in front of 77,622 spectators at (1-0).

This is a huge game, according to Huff, from an outside perspective. Everyone is ecstatic. Everything is wonderful from the historical element of the location we're going to. Our ultimate goal is to play well in the Sun Belt, and this game has no bearing on that.

With a 21-10 defeat against Ohio State, Notre Dame started their 2022 season. Marshall will play the Irish in a non-conference game that was scheduled in March of 2019. Heisman Trophy winners, All-Americans, and College Football Hall of Famers have all hail from Notre Dame.

Huff's counterpart, however, will take that moment in a different light. While Marshall's staff and student-athletes will treasure it, Huff's counterpart will cherish it. With his first career game as a head coach at Notre Dame Stadium, Marcus Freeman, a 36-year-old first-year head coach from Dayton, Ohio. In 2021, he succeeded Brian Kelly as Notre Dame's head coach after serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Freeman described it as a dream come true. I've been anticipating this opportunity to lead our team into the stadium and play a really good opponent since I was named head coach.

Notes:

• For the 26th time since 1990, Notre Dame is playing a foe for the first time. In those games, the Irish are undefeated.

• Just three defeats have befallen Irish head coaches in their home debut.

• Marshall will be making his debut at Notre Dame Stadium for a Sun Belt school.

• In 2011 and 2012, Notre Dame tight ends coach Gerad Parker worked as a receivers coach at Marshall. The Associate Director of Development for Endowments and Major Gifts for the Big Green Scholarship Foundation is Parker's sister, Alicia Parker-Webb.

The largest crowds to ever witness a Marshall football game:

• 105,040 at Ohio State, 2010

• 80,386 at Wisconsin, 2008

• 104,818 at Tennessee, 2006

• 104,622 at Ohio State, 2004

• 92,746 at Georgia, 2004

• 84,445 at Florida, 2001

• 72,983 at Michigan State, 2000

• 80,250 at Clemson, 1999

• 78,717 at South Carolina, 1998

The herd is dominant in the opener and gets ready for the Notre Dame trip

The herd is dominant in the opener and gets ready for the Notre Dame trip

Marshall's first football game in the Sun Belt Conference would, of course, include several firsts.

The Sun Belt era's first touch was recorded by Caleb McMillan. The opening touchdown was scored by kicker Rece Verhoff. The touchdown was scored by local product Ethan Payne. Payne went on to become the first SBC quarterback to throw for multiple touchdowns. Owen Porter, a local Thundering Herd football player, scored the first defensive touchdown.

It was nothing but sunshine by the time Marshall finished its opening game. In front of 24,607 people at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, the Herd easily defeated Norfolk State 55-3. Edwards Stadium is the home of the Fighting Irish.

I'm proud of the players, staff, police escorts, people who are cleaning the stadium tonight … everyone who pulled the rope to get to this point," said Charles Huff, who began his second season as Marshall's head coach. It was a huge organizational accomplishment.

Marshall's touchdown drive in the first quarter was answered by Verhoff's 30-yard field goal and Payne's 45-yard touchdown run. Khalan Laborn, a first-time starter in place of Rasheen Ali, scored the game's opening touchdown on a 4-yard carry to start the second quarter. The deficit was 24-0 after Porter's 21-yard scoop-and-score fumble return. After that, Henry Colombi, the team's first-time starting quarterback, connected with Corey Gammage on his first pass touchdown. In the second quarter, Colombia's 7-yard touchdown run put the game out of reach at halftime, 38-0.

The second half was more of the same, except for the fact that it had lyrics. With 12:51 left in the third quarter, Laborn scored on a 22-yard run to give Nebraska a 45-0 lead, and an 11-yard touchdown catch by freshman tight end Toby Payne followed immediately after.

The Herd's scoring was completed with Verhoff's second field goal, a 27-yarder. Huff then switched his attention to gaining experience for new players. Marshall faced six quarterbacks throughout the game, with four of them on one drive.

We had the chance to face a lot of guys today, which is unusual, Huff commented. Some of those guys might practice all camp and then they don't get a game. I thought it was beneficial for them to get in and succeed.

The ball was carried by nine different players. Talk Keaton's eight catches and 71 yards were the most for any player.

Just once did punter John McConnell need to punt? After connecting on 24 of 26 pass attempts in his Herd debut, Colombia set the second-best completion percentage in school history with 92.3 percent.

Henry performed very well today, Huff remarked. That was the most significant boost of confidence for me because Henry made some excellent, quick decisions.

Charlie Gray had eight tackles, one of which was for a loss, on the defensive side of the ball. Koby Cumberlander got seven tackles, a sack, and two and a half tackles for loss on the defensive end. Micah Abraham, a defensive back, intercepted the ball.

Marshall will face Notre Dame on Saturday, which was ranked in the top five of the national rankings when it opened the season. The Fighting Irish will host the Herd at Notre Dame Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. start on NBC after losing to No. 2 Ohio State 21-10 to open the season.

Bowl donation tickets help everyone

Bowl donation tickets help everyone

This is a season of giving and a bowl season, as the saying goes. Marshall's football team is headed to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, December 18 to face nationally ranked Louisiana amid the holiday season.

The Thundering Herd will face a conference championship-caliber team that is ranked in the Top 25 of the College Football Playoff poll, Associated Press Top 25 poll, and USA Today/Coaches poll in a night-time kickoff on ESPN.

The New Orleans Bowl is a hot ticket because it combines location, opponent, the Sun Belt Conference tie-in, and the opportunity to face a nationally ranked team. It's great news for the Herd, to be sure. The greater the number of seats Marshall Athletics sells, the better. It's suggested that you buy your tickets through the MU Ticket Office. Student-athletes, the marching band, cheerleaders, and staff may all have significant cost implications for flights and hotel rooms.

Here's how to help if you aren't attending the game: a proxy ticket, which we'll refer to as a donation ticket, can be purchased. We'll take the ticket and discover a person in need who may attend the game and experience the joy of bowl season during the holidays. The money will go to Marshall Athletics.

In a nutshell, everyone wins. If you can't make it to the game, you can still do your part read a message from the Marshall Ticket Office this week. Bowl gift tickets are the number one way to support Marshall Athletics this time of year. Jeff O'Malley, the interim director of athletics, also suggested that fans purchase donation tickets to help the Herd.

The Marshall football Ticket Office has donation tickets for bowl games. The athletic department financially benefits from purchasing directly through the Marshall Ticket Office. RedZone or calling 800-THE-HERD may be used to purchase tickets. According to the official athletic website, Donation tickets bought directly through Marshall Athletics will be given to Marshall University students attending the game and local New Orleans charities.

Marshall Athletics will be financially helped by the donation tickets, which will also help with bowl costs.

In addition, Herd supporters who purchase donation tickets will get a priority point bonus based on the number of Marshall football tickets bought:

• The cost of each ticket is $40.

• 50 tickets – 200 priority points.

• 20 tickets – 75 priority points.

• 10 tickets – 35 priority points.

• 4 tickets – 12 priority points.

• 2 tickets – 5 priority points.

The bowl assignment will include a tremendous opponent down in a terrific city with a tremendous bowl experience not only for our players but also for our fans, Marshall head coach Charles Huff stated.

We are honored to be playing in New Orleans, especially since our impending transition to the Sun Belt Conference, O'Malley said after Sunday's announcement. Our fans are looking forward to seeing the Thundering Herd travel well once again to our bowl games, as they have a history of doing so.

Whether they can attend the game or not, Marshall supporters have a history of stepping up in their support. How about giving a gift of a ticket to someone in need?

A historic win likely vaults Herd into the Top 25

A historic win likely vaults Herd into the Top 25

Let's Go, Herd! chanted the eighth-ranked hosts, Notre Dame, as they trailed visiting Marshall in the third quarter at South Bend, Ind. In one of college football's most historic and iconic stadiums, the hosts continued to chant "Let's Go, Herd.

Marshall could not withstand its visitors from Huntington, West Virginia, in front of a sellout crowd of the 10th-largest ever to witness Marshall play football. Marshall beat Notre Dame 26-21 on Saturday night, making it the first Sun Belt Conference team to ever visit South Bend.

After the football team's season-opening win against Norfolk State, first-year Director of Athletics Christian Spears spoke to the team. Spears supported the football players gathered around him to believe before it happens after being awarded the game ball that night.

Marshall football news was trending on Twitter a week later. The college football scene was lively. Appalachian State had beaten No. 6 Texas A&M and Georgia Southern had beaten Nebraska on the same night, all in the Sun Belt East cohorts defeating big league opponents on the road.

We discussed the fact that our collective performance was better than their performance, second-year head coach Charles Huff said on Saturday night in Notre Dame Stadium's bowels.

Huff's squad is heading for the Top 25 right now

We knew we couldn't turn over the ball because Marshall couldn't beat Marshall," Huff added. We knew we couldn't have a bunch of penalties, so we made sure to get some of those turnovers and get some of those penalties on the other side.

Huff wanted Marshall to get those turnovers, and he did. In the game, Notre Dame was outscored by its opponents on turnovers, all of which were interceptions. The first was grabbed by cornerback Micah Abraham, followed by cornerback Steven Gilmore and defensive lineman Owen Porter. The Herd seemed to have won the game after Gilmore's 37-yard touchdown return "Pick 6.

We expected it since we knew this team was anticipated to win this summer, Huff stated. Internally, I'm not taking anything away from Notre Dame.

Marshall's defense kept the visiting Fighting Irish without a touchdown for five possessions in a row. On the first, third, and fifth drives, Notre Dame punted on downs, and Micah Abraham intercepted a pass on the other. Abraham has intercepted a pass in back-to-back weeks for the second time.

On a 10-play, 79-yard drive that ended in Khalan Laborn diving into the end zone for a touchdown, the Herd (2-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) struck first. Marshall took a 6-0 lead after missing the extra point.

Late in the second quarter, quarterback Tyler Buchner scored from 1-yard out to give Notre Dame the lead. Rece Verhoff, who missed the extra point, made a 21-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining before intermission. The Irish led 7-6 at the half. At the half, Marshall was ahead 9-7, and college football paid attention.

With 3:54 left in the third quarter, Verhoff added another short field goal, this time from 20 yards. Marshall appeared to have taken control at that point. Notre Dame, on the other hand, retaliated quickly with its best offensive drive of the game, covering 75 yards in 8:03 before Buchner scored again. With 14:57 left in the game, Bucher made a 2-point conversion attempt to put Notre Dame up 15-12.

From there, Marshall took command. When transfer quarterback Henry Colombi connected with tight end Devin Miller for a 3-yard touchdown strike with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter, the Herd took control. The Herd took a 19-15 lead as a result of that.

Gilmore's 37-yard kick return sparked an Irish comeback, which was all but completed by Pick 6. With 14 seconds left, Notre Dame got a touchdown, but it was unable to recover the onside kick.

As the clock struck all zeroes, Marshall players, coaches, and staff spilled onto the field. Against a Top 10 team, the Herd won for the second time. When the team buses emerged from the tarmac, hundreds of fans greeted them at Tri-State Airport late Saturday night. Joan C. is buried in the West Lot. Hundreds of Marshall fans greeted the team at Huntington after the historic victory in Edwards Stadium.

I hope the residents of Huntington are smiling a little bit brighter tonight, Huff stated before concluding.

You've learned that when you win, the people who shout for you on Saturday afternoons care about you more than they care about winning or losing, which adds to the joy of victory.

Conclusion

For four of the previous six years, the Thundering Herd have dominated, and in 2018, they have an opportunity to win their sixth championship. After starting undefeated, the Herd has momentum on their side. Marshall can achieve an unprecedented fourth straight bowl game for this season with a couple of key additions.

As of now, the Herd is riding high on a historic win against Notre Dame and hopes for a Top 25 bowl bid. However, with rewinds showing us how dominant Marshall has been in the past few years, it’s only fair to say that such results are not too far-fetched. The game against ND will be a true test for the Thundering Herd -- one which they must pass to keep up their success at the top level.

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